Chariots of Fire: Sabbath Stillness and Knowing God - Wesleyan (Psalm 46:10)

In the heart of the Scottish Highlands, there was a young man named Eric Liddell, known to many as the "Flying Scotsman." His feet seemed to dance across the earth as he sprinted toward greatness, yet amidst the roar of cheers and the thrill of competition, he made a choice that would define not only his faith but his very identity. When the 1924 Paris Olympics approached, excitement swirled around the world like a whirlwind. Yet for Eric, the race that could clinch his legacy was scheduled on a Sunday—the Sabbath.

Imagine the tension of that moment. The world clamored for him to run, to chase the gold medal and the adulation that came with it. But Eric, with a heart anchored in his relationship with God, chose stillness. He withdrew from the frenzy, finding himself in a quiet chapel, the scent of polished wood and candle wax enveloping him like a warm embrace. In that sacred stillness, he wasn’t just saying “no” to a race; he was opening his heart wider to the One who created him.

This was not a legalistic choice; it was a deeply relational one. As the Psalmist reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It was in the silence that Eric discovered the profound truth of his identity—not as an athlete, but as a beloved child of God.

Wesleyan spirituality teaches us that these moments of grace, like silence and solitude, aren’t just pauses from action; they are powerful catalysts for transformation. Just as Eric found strength in stillness, we too are invited to create space in our busy lives for the Holy Spirit to work within us. Our hurried lives often drown out the gentle whisper of God, yet in the quiet, we learn who we are and whose we are.